Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa

Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa

My family and I had the opportunity to visit the State Historical Museum of Iowa this morning and preview all of the fun activities they have planned for the upcoming Spring Break Week.  If you haven’t visited the Museum in a while, this would be a good time to spend the day checking out all of their new exhibits and children’s offerings.

Know Before You Go

  • Hours of Operation: Monday through Saturday: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm; Sunday: 12:00 Noon to 4:30 pm. CLOSED on State Holidays.
  • Cost: FREE
  • Parking: Complimentary parking is available in the garage across the street from the museum at the corner of Grand Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Metered street parking is also available.
  • Food: No food or drink is allowed in the exhibit galleries. You may eat and drink in the building atrium or enjoy lunch at Baratta’s Café. Vending machines are also available on the second floor of the east wing of the building.
  • Restrooms: Multiple restrooms are located on the first and second floor.
  • Prior to your visit: check out the State Historical Museum of Iowa’s website for additional information.

While You’re There

The State Historical Museum of Iowa is not the “History Museum” you might remember from your school field trip. You may recall the museum being just that – a museum – not very interactive. Just stop and read and move on to the next exhibit, but recently they’ve added just enough hands-on activities to make the Museum more interesting to the 4 to 10-year-old crowd.

Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa – dsm4kids.com

These fun activities for children round out the many time-tested exhibits of Iowa’s culture and history.  A trio of new exhibitions called “Iowa History 101” digs into the stories that every Iowan should know. One exhibit is a traditional museum gallery, another is a “hands-on” learning area for children, and the third is a traveling display in an RV.

Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa – dsm4kids.com

“Iowa History 101” explores the history of Iowans at home, work and play – and how that shapes who we are today. Like a visit to your grandparents’ attic, this exhibition unpacks the stories of Iowa’s past with dozens of artifacts from the State Historical Museum of Iowa’s collection.

Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa – dsm4kids.com

The newest exhibit offering for kids is the “Hands On History” exhibit.  Young visitors can literally get their hands on Iowa history by playing with Duplo blocks, creating crayon rubbings of Iowa symbols, playing with a model train and sitting on a historic tractor for a fun photo op.

Spring Break Activities at the State Historical Museum of Iowa – dsm4kids.com

And, for those of you who don’t reside in Des Moines, the Historical Museum is getting ready to launch their “Iowa History 101” mobile museum. This museum on wheels will hit the road to travel the state later this spring.

Spring Break Fun

From March 13 through 18, 2017 at 1:00 to 3:00 pm each day, the State Historical Museum of Iowa offers a number of special spring break activities for children.

March 13 – Ice Age in Iowa

Drop by the Museum and discover the prehistoric creatures that roamed Iowa’s landscape. Stand in the shadow of a full-skeleton replica of a Hebior mammoth and learn what life was like for these animals during the ice age. Get up close and examine real mammoth bones found in downtown Des Moines and see if you can identify them.

March 14 – Iowa and the Civil War

Discover what inspired more than 76,000 Iowans to fight in the Civil War. Visit the Iowa and the Civil War exhibition that features more than 300 artifacts that tell the story of life before, during and after the war. Learn about camp life, military drills and talk with living Civil War soldiers courtesy of the Members of the Governor’s Own Sons of Union Veterans.

March 15

Iowa’s Natural History

Become an animal detective by learning about different species of birds that make Iowa home. Explore the Delicate Balance exhibition to see different types of birds and other animals common in Iowa and learn how to draw your favorite feathered friend.

Hatching History with Goldie

Join Goldie’s flock to learn more about Iowa’s history from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in the museum’s Hands-On History gallery. Goldie and the museum staff will help kids crack open stories from the past by conducting model trains, playing in a model kitchen, examining historic toys and much more.

March 16 – Action! Old Time Radio Show

Experience an old-time radio show!  The Final Act Ensemble from the Des Moines Community Playhouse will demonstrate live radio sound effect techniques with their Sound Effects Parade program.  The first performance is at 1:15 pm with a repeat performance at 2:15 p.m. You can also view old radios from the museum collection that were used to entertain families long before TV was invented!

March 17 – Baseball: America’s Pastime

Drop in and learn more about America’s favorite pastime – baseball. A player from the 1870s era Walnut Hill Bluestockings baseball team, from Living History Farms, will be on hand to talk about the history of the sport. View baseball artifacts, watch clips from the Iowa film “Field of Dreams” and see if you can spot the ghost player uniform on display in the Hollywood in the Heartland exhibit.

March 18 – The Kansas City Monarchs in Our Home Town

Most people have heard of Jackie Robinson, some have heard of Satchel Paige, many have heard of the Kansas City Monarchs but few know how connected they were to your local community.  In honor of the 90th Anniversary of the Monarchs’ first World’s Championship in 1924, Phil Dixon is returning to 90 cities where Monarch team members played games to present this team’s unique history. Phil addresses games the Monarchs played in Iowa against local competition as well as the history of African-American ball players from Iowa, such as Chet Brewer of Des Moines, J. L. Wilkinson of Algona and several others, along with Monarchs’ baseball games played in Des Moines.

Will the State Historical Museum of Iowa be on your Spring Break itinerary?  Let us know!